What this search does

AwardSecrets searches live award availability — seats that can be booked with points or miles rather than cash — on any route worldwide. Availability comes from a global distribution system (GDS) under our own travel-industry accreditation. We do not scrape airline websites, so the data does not break when those sites change.

Ask in plain language. A useful search names three things: where you are going, roughly when, and which points or miles you hold. For example:

• “Business class from New York to Madrid in January using Amex points”
• “Business class from San Francisco to Tokyo in February with Chase points”
• “Business class from Hong Kong to New York in February using Amex points”
• “Two business seats from Los Angeles to Tokyo in March”
• “Cathay Pacific business from the US to Hong Kong, flexible dates”

Common questions

Do I need an account?

Yes, and it is free. Every search runs a live query against the GDS, which we pay for per query, so we ask you to sign in first. There is no card required to search. Create a free account.

Which airlines and programmes are covered?

Searches can be run by airline — Cathay Pacific, JAL, ANA, Qatar Airways, Turkish, Virgin Atlantic, Iberia, LATAM, United, Air France and many others — or by the points currency you actually hold. Naming a credit-card programme such as American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One, Citi or Bilt searches across that programme's transfer partners automatically, which is usually the better way to ask. Airline loyalty programmes including Aeroplan, Flying Blue, Avios, Asia Miles, MileagePlus, SkyMiles and LifeMiles work the same way: they are booking currencies spanning many partner airlines, not single carriers.

What does a result look like?

Flight number, operating airline, date, departure and arrival times, aircraft type, cabin, and how many award seats were visible at that moment — plus which loyalty programme books it most cheaply and where to transfer points from.

Why does a search often find nothing?

Because premium award space is genuinely scarce. Airlines release a small number of seats per flight and they are taken quickly. An empty result is the normal outcome, not a fault — it is the reason a search tool is worth having. Being flexible on dates matters far more than being flexible on route.

Can I be told when space appears?

Yes. Set an alert on a route and we scan it automatically and email you when award space opens.

Browse without searching

Premium-cabin availability we monitor continuously is published free and needs no login: the Sweet Spot Finder covers 37 routes, checked multiple times per day, including Cathay Pacific First from Hong Kong, ANA First and The Room to Tokyo, JAL Business, Qatar QSuites and Virgin Atlantic Upper Class.

Developers: a documented REST API and an MCP server are available at awardsecrets.com/api.html.